Have you ever heard the quote that goes along the lines of "some years ask questions, and other years provide answers"? Well, I feel like 2025 so far has asked more questions than it has the right to, honestly.

This year has demanded a lot from me, both personally and professionally, and as I endeavor to wrap up a project I started in 2017 I'm sure I will be pushed past my limits a few more times before all is said and done.

Seriously, though, where have you been?

Is it too cliché to say, "deep in a transformational healing portal"?

I know that sounds like mumbo-jumbo, but it's true. I've shared on the podcast about how I was doing somatic work in the effort to avoid needing a hysterectomy. And through that work I was pulled into shedding generational trauma, healing my relationship with my womb/creativity/self, and refining the mission of my business to align more with my soul's purpose.

Ya know, light, summery things...easy breezy, right?

However, I feel better and more grounded today than I have in a long time - and the hysterectomy is no longer on the horizon!

So why are you posting today, Rebe?

Well, mostly I wanted to let you know that I'm still alive (hi!) and to share about this project I've been working on for-evah.

You might not know, but for the last 15 years I've been heavily involved in the Special Education community, as a parent of children with special needs, as a community organizer, and as the leader of a parent organization here in St Louis County that represents and supports over 24,000 families whose children receive special education services.

In the effort to support my own family, I've had to draw on the skills I've developed over my career as a contracts negotiator, manager, and leader to effectively advocate for my children to receive the support they needed. I saw how much my active participation positively impacted the process and outcome and I recognized just how lost other parents feel in the system.

So I started writing a book, Lanterns on the Dark Path, in 2017. I was {THIS} close to finishing it when 2020 happened and I didn't even know what the education system was going to look like after COVID. So I quietly closed the file on my computer and six-months later opened my crystal shop, which led me to Reiki and Breathwork, which led me to coaching and here we are 5 years later.

All the while, this book that I knew was going to help other families like mine was just sitting there. Haunting me. But with all the other work I'd done for the last 5 years, finishing it and getting it published felt like a side-quest.

Then I realized that the break in my writing process was actually a sacred pause necessary for me to fully integrate the nervous system navigation tools I've been studying so that I can fold them into the book and how I help special needs mamas fight for their kiddos. I use them before every meeting - obviously I need to teach this, too!

Eureka!

So, I reached back out to the editor I worked with in 2019 and the deadline for my finished version 2.0 draft is due on Sep 28th! I hope to publish Lanterns on the Dark Path in early 2026.

Given that my book deadline is in 4 weeks, I probably won't be publishing much in the way of blog/social media posts, podcasts, etc. until after then, nor have I nailed down dates for upcoming workshops quite yet, but never fear...

October-December will be full of crystal classes at First House, IRL and virtual breathwork, and new workshops which will all be scheduled soon.

What's coming next?

• One-on-one coaching is available now. I only have ONE spot for a September start, then 3 spots starting in October. Get details here.

• The publication of Lanterns on the Dark Path: A Guide for Effectively Advocating for Your Child with Special Needs will happen in 2026. Be on the lookout for pre-launch bonuses!

• A series of virtual workshops teaching everything from nervous system supports for parents, to other advocacy skills like negotiation, communication, and even getting organized

So is all your content going to be about special education now?

Kinda. Maybe? To be honest, I'm still working that out.

I know that I want to help other families just like mine. I know that I've LOVED working with each of my clients, supporting them through grief, severe anxiety, and major life transitions. I know that the tools I use have wide applications. And I know that I'm not done serving and creating the community I so desperately needed at the beginning of my SpEd journey.

So maybe?

Right now, yes. But I'm a multi-dimensional being with a magpie's fervor in collecting new information that I will then want to share. My business and this space will flex and grow as I do, reflecting my own journey, embodiment, and passions. As a 1/3 Emotional Manifestor (IYKYK), I simply cannot structure it any other way and thrive.

I hope that this resonates with you, or at least makes you think of a loved one in your life who is in the special needs world, like me. I'd be forever grateful if you'd send my work their way!